These newsbytes have appeared on our social media sites, Facebook and Twitter during the month and have been pulled together here.
Winter bird crop
Last year’s winter bird food crop is reverting to grassland with lots of Red and White Campion, Cornflowers, and even a few Poppies.
Royal Cornwall Show
We had a stand at the Royal Cornwall Show and chatted to many people about Barn Owls.
Owlets!
Once young Barn Owls are over 6 weeks old, well-fed owlets can be 100g heavier than adults! By seven weeks, the amount of prey being delivered starts to decline and wing-flapping exercises begin in earnest, sending tiny bits of white fluff in all directions!
What to do if you find a young Barn Owl.
We are advertising for an Assistant Conservation Officer!
This is an extremely diverse role requiring a combination of practical and office-based skills. The position is full-time and based at our office in Ashburton, Devon, UK. Further details here.
Update from the Campaign for Responsible Rodenticide Use (CRRU) UK:
From July 2024, it will no longer be legal to use SGARs (Second Generation Anti-coagulant Rodenticides) in open areas and waste dumps. “A primary factor leading to this is the stubbornly static incidence of rodenticide residues in around 80% of Barn Owls”. Read the press release and policy statement in the images on our Facebook post here.
Rodenticides and Barn Owls.
Discover how to create and manage good Barn Owl habitat
Our Conservation Officers often encounter other species whilst out nestboxing!
This brood of demanding Kestrel chicks was spotted when checking Barn Owl nestboxes. Kestrels occupy a very similar habitat to Barn Owls, due to the similarities in their prey, and so we often encounter them when doing our annual monitoring.
Jackdaws are another cavity-nesting species and so these clever birds are another species encountered when checking Barn Owl nestboxes. Have a look here at where to put a nestbox.
Walking across fields to nestboxes in remote barns can be pretty peachy but at other times, it can be a bit challenging – thankfully, our staff are quite resourceful!
Find out more about our practical conservation work here.
Butterfly Walk this Wednesday 5th July
Join us for a walk around our 26-acre nature reserve to see some beautiful butterflies alongside our wildflowers!
Full details here. Booking required. Please email info@barnowltrust.org.uk to book.
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